Houston Foods Inc history

Steinhagen settled in Anderson, where he died in 1893.

Origin and Early Development: 1910--30

In 1911, looking for a solution for Louisiana rice producers, a consortium of millers merged to become Louisiana State Rice Company.

In 1916, it reorganized as the Louisiana State Rice Milling Company, Inc. (LSRMCI), still hoping to solve the problems nagging the industry.

Over the next four years, the Godchauxs sold the California subsidiary and got their finances in good enough shape to survive the economic debacle that started in 1929.

In 1946, the Champion Rice Milling Company emerged, soon becoming the River Brand Rice Mills, Inc.

Frank became president after his grandfather's death in 1965.

In 1970, it purchased Central American food processing and distribution properties from W.R. Grace & Co., including Pozuelo S.A. in Costa Rica and Alimentos Kern de Guatemala, S.A., producers and marketers of a wide variety of foods.

Houston sold his interest in the company in 1971.

Divestments and an End to Colgate's Ownership: 1976--86

In 1977, Riviana reorganized, hoping to reverse steadily declining rice sales.

The company lost a major mill in Memphis to fire in 1983 and took a temporary market beating when national publicity argued that a long-used crop fumigant was contaminating its rice products.

In 1986, operating as Lastarmco, Inc., controlled by the Godchauxs, the investors bought all of Riviana's holdings except the Hill's subsidiary.

Riviana also entered a 1989 agreement with Riceland Foods, Inc., the nation's leading rice processor.

After four years of growth, in 1994 Riviana's net income dropped, despite an increase in sales.

In 1995, Riviana's sales reached $427 million, returning the company to its projected levels of sales and profits. For example, in 1997, Riviana began working with Tiger Oats Ltd. in South Africa, with plans to market value-added rice products there.

In the United States, it sold its branded and private-label rice products to all but one of the top 20 supermarket chains in 1999.

Of the nearly 2.1 million people in the city, fewer than 130,000 were Asians according to the 2010 Census, with Japanese […]